Dancing through the Day: Harshita + Aroon’s Baraat to Reception at Building 177
Your wedding day is a beautiful journey of love, filled with dreams, joy, and promises for the future. At Building 177, we cherish every moment, from the quiet morning to the vibrant evening. Through Harshita and Aroon’s celebration, we highlight the enchanting experiences that make a wedding unforgettable, demonstrating the magic that unfolds at our venue.
Planning From Afar: Combining Tradition & Style
Harshita and Aroon thoughtfully planned their special day from Seattle, and our Moniker Events team worked hand-in-hand with them to create a seamless and unforgettable wedding at Building 177.
Combining tradition and modern flair is not an easy feat for many weddings. Showcasing your vision as a couple while still holding true to the values and traditions that you and your families celebrate is a spectacular dream made reality. Harshita and Aroon beautifully honored their cultural heritage by incorporating elements like vibrant marigolds and florals designed by Blooms Design House. At the same time, they infused modern touches into their day, including having their close friends, Shashwat and Shreya, officiate the ceremony.
“It was really important for us to honor our Indian heritage while also keeping the ceremony and reception modern. We chose to highlight a few Indian details, such as the use of marigolds in our floral design, garlands, and brass decor elements throughout the space. Our parents even helped us source custom napkins from India to add a touch of heritage to our tablescape. ”
Order of events: Celebration in the details
With the help and dedication of their vendors, Harshita and Aroon celebrated their special day among perfectly planned details- vibrant florals, exquisite signage, unique rentals, and traditional decor.
Amanda, with Ivory and Lace Creative Weddings, coordinated their day that started at 10am with first hair and makeup in the bridal suite and ended with striking all wedding decor and rentals from the venue by 12am. The couple and guests headed out to an after party later to continue celebrating. Each aspect of the day was meticulously planned and executed!
Getting Ready: The Bridal Suite
It takes a village to get prepped, dressed, and ready for your big day. Each bride deserves a safe, clean, and lovely space to relax in before the ceremony begins! Our private 500 sqft bridal suite offers just that.
Harshita enjoyed the suite throughout the day as she changed from her wedding ceremony to reception to after party ensembles. Her bridesmaids and family members enjoyed bites and drinks while Betsabe of BAR Beauty brought out Harshita’s natural beauty and glow through timeless and elegant techniques.
Joint Baraat: A joyous trip around Building 177
Planning a baraat should be as exciting as the wedding itself. It's a lively Indian wedding tradition featuring festive music, dancing, and a joyful atmosphere, where the groom is escorted to the ceremony site, often on horseback, in a sports car, or even an elephant. To ensure guests were prepared, Harshita and Aroon included the wedding ceremony order in the venue foyer and in the program so everyone knew what to expect.
Their Favorite Part of the Day:
“Arriving in style in our vintage Porsche as part of our joint baraat was pretty amazing! Having our friends and family join us as we danced in the street was incredible and a memory we'll cherish for the rest of our life.”
- Harshita
The couple rode in a vintage Porsche by SD Vintage Rides, as their family and loved ones danced before them. The roads around Building 177 in Liberty Station offer the perfect backdrop for this exciting and joyous tradition.
Planning Tip:
If you’re planning a Baraat as part of your wedding day, we’ve got you covered as we’ve worked with many couples on different entrances and preferences- from riding in on a horse to dancing down Truxton Rd. You can never be too slim on advice so we also recommend checking out the details from The Knot’s article referencing this lively tradition.
Ceremony: Saying “I Do” among 150 of your favorite people
Though Building 177 can accomodate up to 450 people for a wedding ceremony, our average wedding size is about 125-200 guests. Approximately 150 of Harshita and Aroon’s favorite people from all over the country attended their special day in San Diego.
The couple, with their designer and coordinator, Amanda of Ivory and Lace Creative Weddings, rented driftwood Bentwood chairs from Bright Event Rentals for a neutral tone and natural texture among the colorful florals.
Planning Tip:
By utilizing our convenient and user-friendly planning platform, Prismm, our clients are able to design a floorplan to scale with all of our included inventory and outside rentals from trusted vendors. Prismm, which is included in every venue rental, allows our clients to visualize their special day throughout the months of planning at any given time!
Our team is there to help along the way. We work closely with you to understand your dreams and how we can execute them within our venue and through our policies.
Cocktail hour: Festive food & Cocktails
The sun casted a warm glow over our intimate patio, setting the scene for a memorable Southern California cocktail hour with Moniker Cocktail Co. Aroon chose a rum-based cocktail with fresh guava nectar, known as the “Tropical Itch” and Harshita loved the classic, yet elevated “El Jefe”- Moniker Cocktail Co’s margarita.
Charminar San Diego was an outside caterer approved for their wedding and they did not disappoint! As a local caterer serving authentic Indian cuisine with fresh ingredients, their samosas and pani puri were crowd favorites.
While we've carefully curated a top-tier selection of approved caterers for our clients, some couples prefer to bring in an outside caterer. In these cases, a nominal approval fee applies after our team walks through the space with them and ensures all our policies are aligned.
REception: Dinner & Dancing by candlelight
With outfit changes for both bride and groom and a complete room transformation during cocktail hour, Harshita and Aroon joined their loved ones with song and dance and kicked off the reception.
Building 177’s flexible main space sets the stage for multi-faceted weddings -clients can transform the venue space from ceremony to reception in the time it takes for you and your guests to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres out on the patio or in Luce Court.
The couple opted to use a combination of our round and rectangular tables for a mix of seating. Their head table, complete with vibrant orange, fuchsia, and marigold flower arrangements by Blooms Design House, anchored the space and set the stage for toasts, dance routines, and late-night dancing.
“ I really love how the venue is a blank slate for clients to create whatever their dreams/vision is! It was amazing to see their wedding come to life in the space! ”
PLAN YOUR WEDDING TODAY
Harshita and Aroom’s wedding at Building 177 showcased their personality’s perfectlly - from their signature cocktails by Moniker Cocktail Co to their decision to have a joint baraat that brought the house down with music and love.
We hope to play a small part in your special day! Each wedding is incredibly unique and one-of-a-kind so our team is here to make sure you feel like your vision comes to life perfectly through our blank slate venue, curated vendor list and intentional policies.
Schedule a tour or book a consultation call to see if Building 177 is the perfect backdrop for your “I do’s”.
VENDORS:
venue: Building 177 / photo: Natalie Joy Mitchell / coordination: Ivory and Lace Creative Weddings / florals: Blooms Design House / catering: Charminar San Diego / bar: Moniker Cocktail Co / lighting: Brilliant Event Lighting / rentals: Bright Event Rentals, Wonder Event Rentals, Krushna Mandap / tent rental: Taj Mahal Tents / car rental: SD Vintage Cars / desserts: Frost Me Cafe & Bakery / videography: Drew Wyman (Scrap Media) / dj: DJ Vermix / HMUA: BAR Beauty